MSM (A01 + A03) Flashcards
what is memory
- the term given to the structures and processes involved in the storage and subsequent retrieval of information
- involved in processing vast amounts of information
what is duration
- the length of time information can be held in memory
what is capacity
- the amount of information that can be held in the memory store
what is storage
- the process of holding information in memory
what is retrieval
- the process of transferring information from LTM to STM
- recalling information
what are the 3 main stores in the MSM
- sensory memory
- short term memory
- long term memory
memory is a linear process
true or false
- true
- information passes from store to store
how is the sensory register encoded
- through the senses
what is the duration of the sensory register
- less than a half a second
what is the capacity of the sensory register
- large
- e.g. over 100 million cells in each eye
how is information retrieved in the sensory register
- scanning
what did Sperling (1960) find
- found that participants could remember 4/5 letters out of 12 although they were aware of more
- supports that the image of each item fades around 50ms
how is information moved from the sensory register to the short term memory store
- if attention is payed to it
how is information encoded in the short term memory store
- mainly acoustically
what is the duration of the short term memory
- 30 seconds
what is the capacity of the short term memory
- 7+/-
- 5-9 pieces of information
how is information retrieved for the short term memory
- acoustically
what did Peterson and Peterson (1959) find
- found recall of trigrams when the distracter task only lasted a few seconds was okay but if any longer than 15 seconds recall was impossible
how is information moved from the STM to the LTM
- if information is elaboratively rehearsed
how is the long term memory encoded
- semantically
what is the duration of the long term memory
- unlimited
- potentially a life time
what is the capacity of the long term memory
-unlimited
what did Bahrick et al (1975) find
- found that participants, tested on the names of their graduating class members, within 15 years of graduating were 60% accurate
- after 48 years they were 30% accurate
what areas of the brain are used when transferring information from the STM to the LTM
- hippocampus
what happens to information in the sensory register if information is unattended to
- it decays
what is displacement in the short term memory
- when the capacity of the STM exceeds 7+/-2
- unrehearsed info is lost
what is the primary/recency effect
- in a list/sequence of words
- top words are transferred to LTM
- bottom words are in the STM
- middle words are lost via displacement
what happens if maintenance rehearsal is interupted
- information is lost
- interference
how does HM support the MSM
- shows that the LTM and STM are in 2 different distinct stores
- linear process
how does KF contradict the MSM
- shows there is more than one type of STM
- not a linear process
- STM damaged but LTM intact
